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Give burglars nowhere to hide

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Burglars don’t want to be seen or heard and if they think they’ll be noticed by a neighbour or passer-by, they'll probably move on. Here's some advice on helping keep burglars out by giving them no hiding place.

Keep it visible

You’d think that it would be best to make a property less visible from the street, and to keep it hidden from prying eyes behind overgrown bushes, trees, high fences or walls. In reality, all that this serves to do is make it easier for a burglar to get close to a home unnoticed, and provide somewhere to hide while carrying out a burglary or theft from the property.

Consider an accredited burglar alarm system with audible alarm boxes mounted high at the front and rear of your home. Two visible audible alarm boxes are better than one. Mount them at the front and rear of your home, high up to resist tampering.

There are three types of burglar alarm, varying in capability and cost:

Monitored – Once triggered, an alarm company or designated key holder can check to ensure it isn't a false alarm.

Unmonitored – This type, once activated, will sound a loud alarm designed to scare off an intruder and alert neighbours but they are reliant on someone such as a neighbour checking the house.

Auto Dialler – This system, once activated, alerts pre-programmed key holders with either a text or a phone call.

The police will typically respond to a burglar alarm if requested to do so by a monitoring company but are less likely to respond to an unmonitored alarm.

If you have an extension to your home remember to extend your burglar alarm coverage as well.

Signage is an effective deterrent if used with an active alarm system.